Antijaming means for multiple-coin fare collecting apparatus



Patented June 8, 1954 2,680,444 AN TIJAMMIN G MEANS FOR MULTIPLE-COIN FAR E COLLECTIN G APPARATUS Max L. Grant, Providence, R. I.

Application May 22, 1951, Serial No.

4 Claims.

corresponding magazme tubes of a coin 0r changer.

change his employer.

However, some bus drivers feated in their desire to appropriate some of the space through Which refuse to be de' such a receptacle may ing. It has also been freely out of the machine and Since these coins have A further object is to provide means whereby the magazine Fig. 1 is a fragmentary front elevation of the lower portion of coin-collecting apparatus oa recent type and which is widely used, showing the coin changer in position and the escape port opening from the space immediately above the changer through which coins may fall out oi the machine; and

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary, vertical section, to larger scale, on the line 2--2 of Fig. l, showing the internal structure and the manner in which surplus coins may escape.

Referring to the drawings, the numeral l designates the outer casing of a fare collecting machine ef the type above referred to and such as is more fully illustrated, for example, in the cou pending application for Letters Patent Serial No. 216,703, filed March 21, 1951, by Miller. The details of the coin-receiving, gauging, counting and asserting mechanism embodied in such a machine form no part of the present invention and are not herein further described. It suffices to note that the upper part of the case has a downwardly and forwardly transparent panel 2 through which the coins forming the fare may beV observed, and that at approximately1 the peint 3 the asserting mechanism is located. Such asserting mechanism separates the coins or tekens constituting the deposited fare according to denomination and delivers the coins of each respective denomination into a coin diverter or guide :i having partitions 5, 5e, Eb, etc. which, with its end walls, denne separate guideways or compartments for coins of different denomina tions. This diverter or guide is usually a casting, open at its front, and having a naring upper portion forming a sort of hopper to receive the coins as they drop down from the asserting mechanism. Each of the guideways of the diverter has a delivery aperture in its floor through which the coins which fall into said guideway may drop freely. The rear wall of the diverter terminates at an upper edge El. It has heretofore been proposed to provide an overflow receptacle, within the casing of the apparatus and to the rear of the diverter, into which coins which might, on occasion, pile up within the diverter guideways, may fall, thereby to avoid the piling up of coins above the diverter. However, this expedient has not always proven sucient to avoid jamming of the asserting mechanism, as hereinafter explained.

The fronts of the several guideways er compartments ofthe diverter are formed by a door er panel 'l which normally iills the maior portion o a transversely elongate aperture 'i3- in the front wall ci the casing. This door is transpar ent so as to expose te view any coins which accumulate within the diverter compartments. r1`his door is hinged at its lower edge at 8, and springs 9 tend to hold the door in closed position. However, the door may be swung forwardly and downwardly by hand to permit coins to be discharged from the diverter compartments if it is desired te do se.

Below the edge of the diverter 4, the casing of the apparatus has a chamber l (open at the front) for the reception of a removable coin changer device il comprising a plurality of vertical magazine tubes i2, |25, lb, etc., each providing a chamber designed to receive coins of a given denomination. Each of these magazine tubes is arranged below one of the delivery apertures (for example, the aperture i3) in the floor of 'the respective compartments of the coin diverter, and each magazine tube is provided with means (which may be conventional) for delivering a predetermined number oi coins at a time 4 from the tube into the hand of the operator. This removable coin changer is normally held within the chamber l0 by a retaining bar I4 which is normally locked in place, but which may be released to permit removal of the coin changer from the apparatus.

As above described, the door 1 occupies the lower major portion of the aperture 'la in the front wall of the case l, but the upper edge l5 (Fig. i) of this door is spaced below the upper edge le of the aperture to provide a space of a vertical width substantially exceeding the thickness of any oi the coins er tokens which are employed, and preferably exceeding the thickness of two or more such coins piled on the other. This space, between the top edge of the door and the edge of the aperture, constitutes an escape port P through which coins may fall forwardly out of the apparatus and onto the floor.

Normally the coins, for example, the coin C (Fig. 27, falls down from the asserting mechanism and into one of the guideways or compart ments of the diverter and then drops down into one of the magazine chambers of the coin changer. If the operator is properly observant of conditions, he will note the height of the stack of coins in the tubes l2, |221, etc., (this being made possible by the provision of slots or aper-v tures l! in the front walls of the tubes) and will withdraw coins from the tubes, as required, to prevent them from everilowing. However, at times coins may pile up in one or another of the magazine tubes and into the corresponding compartments of the diverter l as indicated, ier example at C (Fig. 2). The accumulation of coins in the diverter is easily observable through the transparent door and should be suflicient to warn the operator of the desirability of withdrawing coins. However, if the operator pays no attention to this condition until the compartments in the diverter are completely full, coins then dropping down from the asserting mechanism will slide down oil of the coins filling the diverter compartments and out through the port P and will fall onto the floor. This effectively prevents coins from piling up within the diverter compartments to a height such as to cause jamming of the asserting mechanism. Since the operator is accountable for all coins which have passed through the counting and asserting mechanism, the dropping of coins onto the floor, with possibility of attendant less, provides a very powerful incentive to induce the operator to watch the apparatus and to withdraw coins from Y the coin changer at sumciently frequent intervals to prevent a damaging accumulation of coins in the diverter.

While, as above noted, it has heretofore been proposed to provide a receptacle, within the case of the apparatus, at the rear of the coin changer into which surplus coins from the diverter mightfall, such an arrangement has not been found altogether adequate because the coins which fall into such receptacle are not lest, and because, if the condition continue long enough, such overflow receptacle will itself be completely filled and thereafter coins may pile up te an extent suflicient to jam the asserting mechanism. With the arrangementoi' the present invention, the escape of coins from the apparatus completely avoids the possibility of undue accumulation, and the attendant possibility of loss is an adequate safeguard against the purposeful or carless failure of the operator to 'withdraw coins at the proper time.

2,680,444 Further, the provision of. the large port P. a casing which houses mechanism for asserting` through which a plurality of coins may be introthe coins, constituting a multiple-coin fare, acduced at the same time, by hand, greatly facilicoi-ding to denomination, the coins then being tates the deposit of coins 1n the coin changer delivered into corresponding Chambers 0f a tubes as is necessary at the start of a run 0r '5 change maker, removable as a unit from the casnarrow slots is provided in the front wall of m Zine Chambers through which the coins pass on slow and troublesomezine, the front of the casing comprising part While 011e desirable embodiment 0f the jnven.. WhCh defines the fIOIl Wall 0f the Several dition has herein been disclosed by way of example,

l. In apparatus of the class described wherein of the panel being less than that of the apera casing houses mechanism for assorting the o ture, thereby providing an escape port above the coins, which constitute a multiple-coin fare, acpanel through which coins, attempting to enter cording to denomination, the coins then being the diverter guideways, after the latter are nearly delivered into corresponding chambers of a magfull, may fall forwardly out of the casing azine, 1n combination, a fixed coin guide within 4. In apparatus of the class Idescribed Wherem a casing which houses mechanism for assorting means and the magazine, said coin guide having he coins, constituting a multiple-coin fare, ac-

the latter are substantially full, may escape and m aperture which extends transversely across the fall forwardly out of the casing. several guideways and from a point near their 2. In apparatus of the class described wherein bottoms to a point near their tops, and a panel a asing houses mechanism for assorting the which normally lls the major portion of the stationary walls which clene separate guideways diverter guideways, after the latter are nearly which are registered with the several magazine full, may fall forwardly out of the casing.

their way from the asserting means to the mag- References Cited 111 the le 0f this Patent 5s UNITED STATES PA'I'ENTs parent panel which forms a part, at least of the front wall of each of the several guideways, said Number Name 1 Dllgs panel being hinged at its lower edge, and means gg gages et a elt 22 194% normally holding the panel in closed position, 491,900 nelrk- Duy 20, 1949 the panel being of less height than the guide- 60 2519357 D he t Aec- 22 1950 ways, there being a freely open port whose lower 25 47102 Walg y ug' 51 edge is defined by the upper edge of the panel, a ac ADI- 3 19. through which. coins, attempting to enter the FOREIGN PATENTS Y guideways, after ilhe latter are substantially full Number Country Date may fall forward y out of the casing.

3. In apparatus of the class described wherein 65 359'160 Great Bma'm Oct' 22 1931 

